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Everything we know about the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas
Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, aimed at halting the devastating violence in Gaza.
The truce is set to take effect on Sunday, just ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing war.
Despite the outpourings of relief, the deal only represents a temporary ceasefire and Israel retains the right to continue the war once it comes to an end.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed that the ceasefire will unfold in three phases, with an initial six-week window.
The first phase: Prisoner-hostage swap
During the first phase, Hamas is expected to release 33 of the nearly 100 remaining Israeli hostages, with Israel reciprocating by freeing a corresponding number of Palestinian detainees.
The exact number of Palestinian prisoners to be released will depend on the number of hostages Hamas frees, with estimates ranging from 990 to 1,650.
Israel will also begin to withdraw its forces from Gaza’s urban centres, repositioning troops to within 700 meters of the border. However, some regions - such as the militarized Netzarim Corridor - will see a more gradual withdrawal.
If implemented, Palestinians will be able to return to what remains of their homes in the north and a surge of up to 600 trucks per day filled with humanitarian aid will be brought to the enclave. Additionally, Israel has agreed to allow the wounded to leave Gaza for medical treatment and to reopen the Rafah crossing with Egypt seven days after the ceasefire starts.
By Day 50 of the truce, Israel is expected to have completely withdrawn from the Philadelphi Corridor, a critical border area between Gaza and Egypt.
Phases two and three: Continuing the negotiations
While Phase One provides a clear path forward, the second and third phases remain uncertain. Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani indicated that the specifics of these phases will be negotiated as the ceasefire progresses.
"We will continue to do everything we can, everything possible together with our partners, to ensure that this deal is implemented as it’s agreed," he said, noting that mediators had spent 411 days working on the agreement terms.
The second phase of the deal is still to be hammered out with negotiations due to begin on Day 16 of the ceasefire.
If conditions are met, Hamas will release all the remaining hostages – mostly male soldiers – in return for the freeing of more Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Israel may also consider a "complete withdrawal" of its forces from Gaza, depending on the outcome of the negotiations.
Final phase: End of the war
Phase three would mark the formal end of the conflict. US President Joe Biden has assured that the ceasefire will remain in effect beyond the first six weeks, even if discussions for the second and third phases extend longer.
However, Israel has resisted providing written guarantees that hostilities will not resume after the first phase ends. Despite this, Hamas has received verbal assurances from the mediators that negotiations will continue, with Egypt, Qatar, and the US pushing for the agreement’s full implementation.
If the peace holds, mediators could repeat their attempted plan to negotiate a cessation of hostilities in November 2023, which saw the release of 105 hostages in return for 240 Palestinian prisoners and humanitarian aid allowed to enter Gaza. But the brief pause in fighting only lasted a week as Israeli forces shot at Palestinians in Gaza on November 29, killing two people.
Phase three would involve not only the return of deceased hostages but also the start of Gaza’s reconstruction, under the auspices of Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the Palestinian Authority could invite "international partners" to establish an interim governing body to oversee essential services and aid distribution.
Since October 2023, Israel has already killed more than 46,000 Palestinians with over 110,000 wounded and more than 1.9 million people internally displaced.